Channel 4 privatisation ‘would damage sector’
WEST of England metro mayor Dan Norris has warned plans to privatise Channel 4 could be damaging to the region’s creative sector.
Channel 4 opened a new creative hub in Bristol at the start of last year to allow it to tap into creative industry talent pools in the South West and Wales.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has confirmed the government will launch a consultation on the proposed privatisation after the broadcaster’s bosses were questioned by MPs on the merits of the move.
Mr Dowden said the consultation would ensure that Channel 4, which is publicly owned and receives its funding through advertising, “keeps its place at the heart of British broadcasting”.
Mr Norris has now written to Mr Dowden to express his concerns that privatisation, which he described as a “farcical idea”, would further impact on the creative sector in Bristol and the wider area that had “already suffered enough” during the pandemic.
Channel 4, whose remit since its foundation in 1982 is to deliver content for under-served audiences, reinvests money it makes into new shows, mostly produced by independent UK production companies.
Mr Norris said: “This proposal threatens to rip out the heart of Channel 4 – a much-loved broadcaster which has only just set down roots in the West of England.
“Channel 4’s bosses have warned that some of its programmes could be at risk if it is privatised. I am extremely concerned by how this could impact people working at the Creative Hub in Bristol and those from our region’s excellent creative sector.
“All of this is at threat of being switched off if the Government presses ahead with privatising the channel. Channel 4 also has a key role to play in promoting and encouraging diversity and much of its valuable content may not make commercial sense.”
Mr Norris’ intervention comes after Channel 4’s chief executive Alex Mahon questioned whether selling the channel to a private buyer would help the government’s “levelling up agenda” of stimulating growth outside London and the South East of England.
Ms Mahon said while assessing the merits of privatisation was “perfectly reasonable”, during an interview with Times Radio, she questioned the “logic” behind it.
“What if we did sell the channel? Would it deliver this public remit in the same way?
“And particularly, would it be focused on how you level up outside of London, you know, now we’re spending 50% of our money outside of London, big offices in Leeds, Manchester, Glasgow and Bristol.
“That’s a very, very different thing, perhaps to the motivation of a profit-based US streamer.”
The Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport was con tacted for reaction to Mr Norris’ remarks but received no reply.
Meanwhile, the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), which Mr Norris heads, has agreed to immediately invest an additional £1m in support for creative freelancers and businesses.
Mr Norris said the creative freelance sector was a “vital part” of the region’s economy.
“I believe that, as part of the hundreds of unique communities and thousands of talented people right across Bath, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North East Somerset, they [creative industries] have a key role to play in helping shape an even better future,” he said.
“From theatre shows for children
to documentary film-making; with puppet-making and pop up art exhibitions; the recording of new podcasts and albums and creation of new e-books: I’m proud to back the talented local people working in this sector.”
In 2019, Channel 4 chose Leeds as the location for its new national headquarters, with creative hubs being established in Bristol and Glasgow.